From a young age, psychology captured Jaime Chubb's interest.
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It's why she has dedicated her life to fostering community, connection and a sense of place in Wangaratta, the place she calls home.
The chief executive of the North East's Centre Against Violence was raised with an appreciation that a home town is not just a location but a part of one's identity.
Becoming a professional was always likely for the mother-of-four, who began her tertiary journey with a behavioural science course at La Trobe University in Wodonga before transferring to Melbourne to finish her degree.
"I've always been interested in people and understanding them," she said.
"Straight from university I went into working as a youth counsellor and that was really insightful for me.
"But it was hard; many of them were high risk and the type of work you do is around helping their lives and themselves. Often though they were still going home to environments that were unsafe and so they weren't able to get the support they needed.
"I found the concept of individual psychology and counselling didn't really sit well with me, which is why I made the move into government - and that's where I spent the next big chunk of my life."
Ms Chubb worked at Wangaratta Council for seven and a half years in a health and wellbeing role.
That is what helped secure her role at the Centre Against Violence, "something that was part of what I wanted to focus on".
"Now looking back at it all, my career is coming together," she said.
Ms Chubb said the government-funded family violence and sexual assault service was an area in which she felt she had been able to make change.
"I've been really lucky. I feel now, in hindsight, that everything I've done and the people I've met have helped me prepare for this role.
"One of the things that I love about my job is the hope that comes out of change."
Ms Chubb said when she was listed as one of The Border Mail's top 15 most inspiring and influential women it caused her to reflect on the many strong, inspiring and influential women she had seen across her own life.
"From a young age, my nan and grandmother and great aunts were examples of those women," she said.
"It's kind of this bookend of women that really inspires me, it's this legacy that I've had passed down to me from previous generations around making things better.
"That's because they weren't given the opportunities that I was because of the time they were born into."
And it was sad to see women in her life not taking opportunities "that we are presented with nowadays".
"I don't think women talk about it enough, that we really can have aspirations," she said.
"It's bloody cool and it's such a privilege."
Ms Chubb was grateful to be able to work in a position that was otherwise preserved as a male role decades ago.
"I think that women in leadership can actually have real strength," she said.
"Instead of us shying away from the fact that we have responsibilities outside of our workplace as well, it's actually something in my mind. Some of the best women leaders I've worked for have got very full lives, and it makes them better for it.
"How do I juggle it? I think I'm a better mum for it."
Ms Chubb didn't want people to think that she turned 18 and got herself exactly where she had to go. It was quite the opposite.
"Even when it gets tough and then you have to navigate some tricky situations, I think the key is to have good people around you.
"Where I am right now is exactly where I'm supposed to be, both professionally and personally. That's not to say every day is joyful. Some days are really hard.
"But all of the tough stuff has kind of got me to where I'm supposed to be.
"The other thing I have learned is that there are so many people out there who will cheer you on and help you and be your mentor and be there to help if you ask for it.
"As women, we need to get better at doing that because we do want to help each other. And that's the only way we're going to really achieve equality."
